Best Bourbons Under $40

Four Roses Small Batch

Despite a history dating back to 1888, the iconic name and its popularity, Four Roses stopped selling bourbon in the United States for 40 years.

The whiskey was so popular in Asia that Kirin, the Japanese beer maker, bought the company in 2002 and started selling bourbon stateside. The Kentucky-based distillery combines its two mash recipes with five yeast strains to produce 10 different bourbons, four of which are used in Four Roses Small Batch.

From one of the most well-respected Kentucky distillers comes this bourbon that lends a softer nose — yeasty, like baking flour. It’s great preparation for the strong whiffs of vanilla and burnt sugar that follow, though it maintains a versatile, robust oakiness that works in just about any whiskey cocktail.

The Dirty Bird...The Screaming Eagle... The Kicking Chicken... The flagship Wild Turkey Whiskey has been acclaimed in movie and song for its bad-boy ways, and has enough nicknames to fill a small phone book.

Unlike other ryes, there’s no need to immediately reach for a chaser with Russell's Reserve Rye. The high alcoholic content still rewards drinkers with a warmth that is easy to trace from mouth to stomach.

The Dirty Bird...The Screaming Eagle... The Kicking Chicken... The flagship Wild Turkey Whiskey has been acclaimed in movie and song for its bad-boy ways, and has enough nicknames to fill a small phone book.

Unlike other ryes, there’s no need to immediately reach for a chaser with Russell's Reserve Rye. The high alcoholic content still rewards drinkers with a warmth that is easy to trace from mouth to stomach.